"Mayor, Come Have Breakfast With Me."

That is what I heard when I went to visit Treeo, a retirement community complex, this past week.
 
Ralph was walking by using his stroller and as he passed by me, requested that I come and eat breakfast with him. Ralph is 91 years young. He worked for many years as the Utah County Agricultural agent. We had a great time talking and eating together. He told me several stories of past history in Orem of agriculture, fruit orchards, and the growth of our community.
 
As I was leaving, the assistant manager grabbed me, and asked if I knew that DeLynn Heaps was also a resident of Treeo. I had met DeLynn before and said that I did.
 
DeLynn is originally from Payson, lived in Provo, and has lived in Orem for many years. DeLynn was one of the original six partners (three of which were F.O., Wallace, and Orin Woodbury) who started the University Place Mall. The University Mall ribbon cutting was held on April 4, 1973.
 
DeLynn also helped to start 6 banks, Mini World Dresses, and other businesses. He is a World War II veteran who took part in the invasion of Okinawa, Japan. He was a sophomore in high school at the time of the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.
 
He was one of six young men in the farming community of Payson. He and his five friends were known as the "West Mountain Gang of Six." The gang consisted of six hard working farm boys who were great friends and who grew up together and went off to war together to serve our country and keep it free.
 
DeLynn is a great example of giving service to his country, to his church, to his family, and to his community.He is someone that you could count on to make things happen and get things done. He had vision and grit. 
 
It is an honor to have former business and government leaders like Ralph and DeLynn living in our city. May we thank them and appreciate them for what they have accomplished.​
 
It is always a pleasure to be with them and hear their wonderful stories of what it has taken to build our great community.
 
PS - As a side note, my first job when I came back from my LDS Mission to Sweden was to work as a survey pole holder for the Rollins, Brown, and Gunnell engineering company. I specifically helped to lay out the planters on the east side parking lot at the new University Mall adjacent to the new JCPenny store in 1972. Little did I know then that someday in the future I would have the honor to attend many such ribbon cuttings in Orem.

Mayor Brunst